Of Sand & Demons
by Syeira
Summary: Rin is the ward of the pharaoh Sesshoumaru. When he disappears, she accidentally summons Inuyasha, a demon who becomes her blood-bound slave. With the help of her mentor, Kagome, she learns to control him while unraveling the mystery of the missing pharao
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first fanfic. I do it for fun and for practice, so RESPECTFUL criticism is welcome. I plan to ignore flames, as they come from people with nothing better to do than put others down. It's simple, people…If you don't like the story or the pairing, DON'T READ IT!!_

_I do NOT own Inuyasha or any of the characters, but I DO own my story and my words._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter One**

Rin traipsed around her master's quarters as the servants cleaned. Everything was in disarray and she couldn't imagine what might have happened. Scrolls were strewn across the floor, an open one hanging from his desk. His bed linens were pulled and crumpled against a wall. Rin fought back a whimper at her helplessness. There were guards everywhere. No one could have gotten in, so why did the pharaoh's room look as if there had been a struggle. A startled gasp came from behind her and Rin turned to find a young girl holding a bed sheet in her arms, close to her chest as she looked up in fear. Rin sighed and calmed herself, aware of the unnerving psychic energy she was releasing. Even after twelve years of training she had trouble controlling her mystic abilities. She walked away from the girl to straighten her lord's desk even as the maidservants pushed her hands away from the task. She released her aura then and watched as they backed away.

"My lady?" Rin turned. It was what they had learned to call her. She was not of the pharaoh's blood but was raised as such, and then there was her title as priestess. Though "lady" was used for those below her station, she acknowledged it all the same. "This was found beside His Serenity's bed, your Highness." Rin nodded at a small toad-like demon, a scribe she noted. From his hands she took a small scroll which had not been sealed but was scented in Jasmine. His Majesty knew of her fondness for the scent and was conscious to send all her letters fragranced in such a way. She nodded again to the short man and walked to a balcony that overlooked the calmness of the vast desert. She opened the tiny scroll.

_My beloved Rin,_

_I have done more for you than any man of Egypt could offer his daughter. If you have this in your hands, I am no longer with you, and you must know that I have not intended this absence in your life. Be astute, Daughter of Egypt. And if you are ever in doubt, speak these words to find your peace:_

_Of sand and demons_

_Of blood and noble hounds_

_Kin to the prodigal son_

_Power of the Inu bound_

_Let your wisdom keep you safe, my Rin._

There was no signature to the note but she didn't need one. She rolled the scroll tightly and tucked it at her hip. "Jaken," she addressed the bumbling scribe. "I am going to the temple and am not to be disturbed." Rin turned her back on his obeisance. She wouldn't have bothered explaining herself to the small youkai were it not for her own safety.

Rin's mind was elsewhere as she walked to the Temple of Inu. Lord Sesshoumaru left of his own free will if he had time to write that letter, which meant one of two things. One, someone had ransacked his chamber after his departure in search of something, or two, her lord had ransacked it himself. But where was the sense in that? This was what Rin wanted to know. Was his life in danger? Was hers?

The young priestess slipped between the heavy doors of the temple, left ajar, as the sun passed noon. She called out to the temple's caretaker. "Priestess Kagome?" Her eyes adjusted quickly to the flickering light along the walls. The sound of metal and clay crashing against the stone floor had Rin scurrying in that direction. The temple's priestess was on her knees trying to gather two bowls and a stand in her short arms. "Priestess, let me help you." Rin kneeled beside the older woman, by six years, careful of the shards of a shattered clay bowl.

"Oh, Rin…Thank you," she said as she stood, her white gown stained red. Rin gasped. "Oh, no, it's only wine. I don't know why I'm so edgy, today. I've dropped almost everything I've picked up." Rin followed Kagome into the main chamber of the temple. "I can sense that you're troubled."

Rin was both pleased and respectful of the way the priestess put aside her own concerns to address hers. "It's…"

"Sesshoumaru, I know."

Rin gasped and placed the two bowls she'd carried onto a table. "Have you seen what has happened to him? I thought you didn't have the Sight."

"No, that gift still belongs to Kaede. But I know things. Nothing that will ease your mind. Sorry."

Rin sighed and leaned against the table. Her words overwhelmed her and the temple's calm offered her freedom to think aloud. "What am I to do without my lord? He has been my guide throughout my life, my savior."

Kagome placed the stand beside the altar and turned to look at her young apprentice. Lord Sesshoumaru had taken the girl in at seven-years old. She was of a family of desert nomads that had been attacked by brigands. By the time His Serenity had reached the fray all were dead, save for a young half-starved girl. It was unlike his lordship to show kindness or affection in any way or form, so when he brought the young orphan to the palace it was a shock to all, especially the priestess tramp, Kagura, who had been sharing the pharaoh's bed much to the chagrin of the priesthood. Kagome smiled and then hid it as she glanced back at Rin. "It's times like these that we grow strong, Rin. You cannot have expected Sesshoumaru to have been with you _all_ your life."

Rin's eyes widened at the mention of Sesshoumaru's name without the preceding title but remembered that the priestess and the pharaoh had a mysterious history. "I know that, but…" What was there to say? How could she explain how she had come from so little and been given so much that without her benefactor she had no idea who she was or who she was supposed to be.

"You are who you always were, Rin. You are a woman who wraps the cool fabric of nobility around her warm heart; a woman full of fire and passion who dampens it for fear of something only she knows. Do not worry so much. I am sure that wherever our lord is, he is fine."

"He is not dead. I know this in my heart. I just wish I knew why he left and where he went."

Priestess Kagome nodded. "I understand your fears. I am sure they are shared by half the palace." Kagome filled a new clay bowl with red wine and placed the bottle under the cloth that covered the altar. "I will leave you to pray. I must meet with the ministers and priests before the temple becomes crowded."

Rin bowed her head to the priestess as she walked away, closing the temple doors behind her.

In the silence of the sacred room Rin swallowed her fears and embraced what peace had been left to her. Pulling the miniature scroll from her waist she opened all she had left of the man to whom she owed her life.

_Speak these words to find your peace. _"What does this mean, Milord?" Rin's voice was high and [whimpering/hysterical. She walked before the tall onyx statue of Inu no Taisho, the great demon god who ruled the land for 400 years before his son. "What is this, these words?" She waved the piece of papyrus at the statue then brought it, again, to her eyes. "Of sand and demons, of blood and noble hounds, kin to the prodigal son, power of the Inu bound." Fuming, Rin turned from the bejeweled dog and screamed, frustrated with the recent events, before falling to her knees before her god.

"Was there no time to awaken me and say goodbye? Could you have not taken me with you?" Rin considered Kagome's words. No, she could not have expected Lord Sesshoumaru to watch over her, forever. "Protect him, Great Taisho." She lowered her forehead to the stone floor before leaving the temple.

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Pale, almost marble-white, eyelids lifted to reveal glowing golden irises. They viewed darkness, the abyss-like black that enveloped them. The being to which the eyes belonged groaned and tried to stretch muscles gone unused for too long. "Where am I? What is this?" The voice was groggy, throat scratchy. Annoyed by the physical and mental confinement, caused by the darkness, the creature brought its elbows up enough to lift its arms and reach outward. Cold stone met cool, clammy skin. The creature pushed against the brick until it groaned and scratched as it shifted.

Kagome stood still, a broom clutched in her knuckle-white hands as sounds of shifting stone echoed down the hall into her room. Peeking down the hall she saw only the flickering of light on the walls of the main chamber, but all else appeared normal and the sound had stopped. She was probably just imagining things. That silly priest Miroku was always telling foolish tales of wild demons and evil spirits to the priestesses. It was just getting to her now that she was alone in the temple. Just to be sure Kagome tip-toed on bare feet down the hall to where the sun's last rays peeked through the slit windows and glinted off of gold plates where incense burned.

_I will not call out. I will not call out._ She chanted to herself as she stood frozen where the hall met the altar room. Everything was silent and she didn't move as her deep brown eyes searched for anything that seemed out of place. Kagome exhaled and turned to finish her cleaning when the sound came again, this time followed by a grunt. Kagome's eyes widened as she jerked back toward the sound. With her back against the wall, Kagome side-stepped toward an onyx statue of Lord Sesshoumaru and grabbed the iron staff from his fist. _I can do this. Kohaku says I'm a natural._ Kagome played movements she'd learned from the captain in her mind as she inched toward the pillar nearest to the altar.

The golden-eyed creature could feel the warmth of its blood sliding down the scratches on its arms as it moved around, but that wasn't what made it stop. Beyond the scent of the damp stone was a new scent. No, the scent had always been there, it reasoned, but now it was stronger, closer. It could hear skin sliding across floor as the scent came closer. It was like fruit, like plums, sweet and fresh. A wave of hunger slammed into the starved prisoner. It tightened its body, using the pressure between its arms and the stone to lift its lower half off the ground. It braced its legs against the stones to its rear while its arms scraped against the stones in front. It pushed.

Kagome let loose a startled cry and stumbled backward falling onto her back as blocks of stone crashed near her feet. She crawled backward until her back met a wall and shielded her eyes from the sand and stone fragments that scattered across the room. When the room went silent Kagome peeked from behind her hands at the pillar that once stood near the altar. She stood and walked closer until a half-circle of stone came into view. _Hollow? The pillar was hollow?_ With wide eyes and furrowed brows, Kagome walked a wide circle around the debris on the floor of her temple home.

"What is going on?" Her whiny voice betrayed her nerves and she swore as she realized that the spear was no longer in her hand. Kagome jumped at the sound of a low grunt followed by a growl. She stood frozen as the rubble shifted before her eyes and pale shoulders lifted from the floor followed by a hard-toned torso and thick-muscled legs. A scream solidified in her throat. If only her muscles would loosen enough for her to open her mouth. Despite the long mane of white hair the body was decidedly male as Kagome saw no breasts, only smoothly sculpted pectorals and precision cut abdominals. Ignoring the body, Kagome remained focused on the hair. She only knew one man with hair that color. "Lord Sesshoumaru?"

The half-naked male groaned, but it came out more like a growl. "What did you say?"

That was _not_ Lord Sesshoumaru's voice! Kagome let out a little of the scream that had been caught before she froze again. That voice was groggy and scruffy. Lord Sesshoumaru's was smooth and cultured. The male finally got to his feet and Kagome released the scream she had been holding.

Startled and irked by the sound, the disconcerted male braced his feet and jumped an unnaturally long distance to the screaming woman grabbing her roughly by the shoulders. "Will you shut up?!" He smirked as he noticed that his voice was back to normal. Screaming noises still came from the woman's throat. He growled and considered putting her out of her misery.

Kagome stared at the demon. And he _was_ a demon, with those eerie golden eyes. To add to that, atop his white mane were two fuzzy ears, like that of a dog. Kagome started to inch her hands up to feel them when the demon leaned forward to sniff at her. His ears twitched.

"Did you awaken me?" The demon sniffed, again, at the priestess. The power was wrong. This woman's power was all wrong. It felt raw, needy, and unused. She was probably one of those women who needed a man before she could use her full powers. Frustrated he pushed the woman away.

Kagome watched in horror as the demon leapt to the door and lifted the heavy iron bar with ease before disappearing into the night. She was no weakling. Her powers flared and she sense how strong he was; not strong enough to be a noble, but too strong to control as a slave. No wonder he was locked away. Knowing she needed to warn someone she jumped to her feet and abandoned the temple to find the one person who might be able to help her.

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_Don't forget to review!!_

_Syeira_


	2. Chapter 2

_I do NOT own Inuyasha or any of the characters, but I DO own my story and my words._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter Two**

Rin tried not to fidget as she sat in the bedchamber of Queen Kikyo, Pharaoh's first wife. The queen stood naked before two servants as they held various garbs before her. She didn't seem at all concerned about Lord Sesshoumaru's disappearance, but then again, Kikyo and Sesshoumaru had always held more of an alliance than a marriage. Rin sighed. Was she the only member of this house concerned about her lord?

"What do you think of this one, Rin?"

Rin looked up from her knees to see that the queen had donned a lilac-colored wrap that hung off one shoulder, wrapped around the torso, and was clasped at one hip by an elaborate golden pin. The fabric stopped just below one knee but revealed the entire leg where the clasp hung. "It's very lovely, my queen. May I ask what it is for?"

The queen chuckled softly in a way that held no humor, in _her_ way. Rin caught the queen's cool gaze. "Sara's birthday is in two days. It's not like you to forget, Rin." The queen turned away and lifted her chin in the air as the servants Kanna and Shiori moved forward to help remove the gown. "Then again, I suppose you have been affected more than anyone by Pharaoh's leave."

Queen Sara was her lord's second wife, a kindly demon who was raised by humans and often did not know her own strength, much to her dismay. "Do you think he will return soon, Queen Kikyo?"

Kikyo let the servants fit her into a simple cotton sheath before looking at the young girl who was Sesshoumaru's ward. She was a fair beauty who could easily rival any noble in the palace but she wore her assets with a cloak of humility and for some reason Kikyo admired that.

Kikyo had arrived, a mere Lady, to Sesshoumaru's palace when Rin was but a small girl of nine years. Sesshoumaru had had her for two years by then and the orphan peasant was already carrying herself with the demeanor of royalty. As she grew with the pharaoh's love, Kikyo had mistakenly suspected the girl to be a challenge to her lord's favor. But Rin was not that woman. She worshipped Sesshoumaru as a daughter would and Kikyo was made to see that others saw her as such. In time, she too came to acknowledge the humble girl's status within the palace.

"What makes you think it was his choice to leave, young one?"

Rin felt the chill of the cool night air just as Queen Kikyo came to sit beside her on the chaise. She remembered the note, the secret note. Of course they would think it wasn't his choice, and if that was what her lord wanted… "Lord Sesshoumaru is so strong. Who could take him against his will?"

Kikyo smiled that cool smile that meant nothing and everything. "Yes, our lord is strong, and I do not think he left for his own safety. So, perhaps he left for someone else's. Maybe yours, Rin. If you were threatened, do you not think His Serenity would do what was in his power to protect you?"

Rin thought on this.

"Do not worry. You are right that Sesshoumaru is strong. He can take care of himself."

Rin wished that everyone would stop telling her not to worry when her mind was dominated by doubt and confusion, not to mention fear for her lord. She hid her frown and stood. "Thank you, Queen Kikyo. I'm sure you're right. I should probably just get some sleep."

"Yes. Tomorrow there will be much talk of who is to step into Pharaoh's shoes." 

Rin's heart shuttered but she managed to nod before heading to her own rooms.

Of course someone would have to rule, but whom? Who was worthy enough to fill sandals of Prince Sesshoumaru of the Inuyoukai?

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Her scent was on the breeze, a whiff of soft jasmine and honey behind the throb of gentle, unfocused yet impressive power. The pale-skinned demon ran through the flowerbeds of the courtyard until he came to a high stone wall. The scent floated down from a small balcony where lavender sheers drifted about in light wind. Flicking his ears he listened as two voices carried on the wind. The first voice, commanding and sure, spoke of a strong being called Sesshoumaru. That name again. Then, _"Thank you, Queen Kikyo." _A queen. That made sense.The latter voice was softer, weak. 

The demon backed up to gain good distance before running at the wall and leaping into the air to land on a balcony near to the one where the two voices sounded. Drawing aside the curtain he walked through the dark room until he reached a heavy wooden door. He pulled it open slightly and caught the scent of masculine sweat. Guards. Of course there would be guards so near to the queen's chambers. He shut the door and backtracked to the open balcony only to jump to the next one away from the queen's. It was there that the scent attacked him again. Sweet jasmine and honey. The queen? She had awakened him? Or the other? He jumped to the next balcony and was enshrouded by the sweetness. _Her_ chamber.

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Rin walked the torch-lit hall with her head hung. The two bodyguards at her sides were silent and she was grateful. She wanted no condolences, no questions, no apologies. She wanted sleep.

"I must return to Queen Kikyo, Lady Rin, but Akitoki will remain outside your door for the night."

Rin looked up to the dark-haired, dark-eyed Onigumo, the queen's personal guard. She nodded to him before pushing against the door of her smaller chamber. It was quiet and dark and as still as it was when she abandoned it this morning. Only the cool breeze stirred. She moved aside so that Akitoki could use a torch to light the room. After lighting each side of the room, Rin dismissed him. Slowly, as if drifting through a dream, she removed her clothing and made her way to her private bath. With no energy or patience to summon servants to pour and heat the water, she shifted out of her day wrap into a light, plain cotton tunic. She walked to her small balcony and breathed deeply, letting the events of the day roll over her. Her lord wouldn't panic if he were in her place. He would think everything through and come up with the most logical conclusion. Then he would act accordingly. And that's just what she would do; relax, keep cool, and wait for the answer to come to her.

Inuyasha stood just behind the curtain as the door opened, flooding the room with light from the hall. A small woman, not much more than a girl, entered the room with a sandy-haired man. The man lit the room and left. The demon inhaled and was certain that this woman was the reason he was here. That soft floral smell wafted up his nose and did unspeakable things to his senses. He watched, without remorse, from the dark corner of the room, just inside from the balcony as she stripped of her day clothes and changed into a night tunic. She wasn't very muscular — quite puny, actually — but her slender form ignited something within him, something he hadn't felt for a long time.

The small holy woman sighed and walked towards him in graceful strides. Inuyasha stopped breathing as she passed and used his youki to conceal his powerful aura from the young priestess. She glided by none the wiser.

Rin gazed up at the stars. Astrologers spoke of destinies. The priestess Kaede had often spoke of hers. But when she looked to the heavens, she only saw the beauty of the night sky. Kaede once told her that her destiny was merged with Lord Sesshoumaru's, that she was supposed to save him somehow. She was thirteen and had laughed it off then. Lord Sesshoumaru had saved _her._ He had rescued a half-starved, recently orphaned girl from the mercilessness of the desert and taken her in as his own.

"Lord Sesshoumaru," Rin sighed.

Rin dismissed the sound of ruffling fabric behind her as the breeze playing with the curtains, but she could not ignore the baritone voice and wave of power as they penetrated her relaxed state.

She spun around to find a heavily-muscled bare chest and long white hair. At first she thought her prayers were answered, but then she noticed the differences jump out at her. Canine ears, careless hair, bulkier muscles, and shorter, but still a head above her. She reined back the instinct to call for the guard. He looked so much like her lord.

"Answer me, you stupid girl. Who the hell is Sesshoumaru and why the hell did you awaken me?"

Rin's bodily functions stalled but she instinctually answered the one question that made sense to her. "He is the pharaoh, the ruler of this land, and my lord." The words came easy and helped her to regain herself. Sesshoumaru _was_ her lord, _and_ her guardian. She was as his daughter, was she not? "Who are _you_?"

The demon scoffed. "Look here, little girl, I'm the one asking the questions, okay?"

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Rin opened her mouth to call for the guard but before a sound could escape her mouth was covered by the calloused hand of the bristling male before her.

"Don't even think about screaming for help."

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_Don't forget to review!_

_Syeira_


	3. Chapter 3

_I do NOT own Inuyasha or any of the characters, but I DO own my story and my words._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter Three**

The demon looked to the balcony, then to the door. He could smell the scent of a human male lurking just on the other side. He'd probably heard the girl's outburst. And just who was this girl, anyway? A princess? Before his mind could conjure another question, a sharp pain exploded in his side. Another in his stomach. He groaned and leaned to the side.

The demon's grip on her weakened and Rin spun away and took a stance, feet spread.

"What the hell?" The demon watched as the young woman used the moment to summon her youki into a barrier, not to protect herself, as the he suspected, but to trap him. The pink essence formed before his eyes and the he growled, speechless at her power.

"Guards!"

His eyes shifted from gold to red. Her size, her voice, the arousing stink of her fear betrayed nothing of her power. The weak mortal girl had successfully barred his escape. "Damn you!" he growled as the door swung open and two men barged inside. The white-haired demon slammed his body against the pink orb surrounding him only to be burned by its essence.

Rin watched as the demon began to take full form. His eyes changed color and a large jagged purple stripe appeared on each cheek. If he was a mature demon as he appeared, he would destroy her room in his full-demon form. She concentrated harder, trying to hold the barrier while remembering how to siphon a demon's strength. Her arms and belly quivered with the effort.

"Rin, stop!"

It was the cool, calm, but unnaturally concerned voice of the Queen. But Rin was too afraid and to focused. The last thing she remembered was young Queen Sara's frantic cry as the demon's harsh features faded and darkness took her.

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Rin awoke in the Queen Kikyo's chambers surrounded by familiar but worried faces. She groaned as she sat up.

"Hey, take it easy, Rin." Kagome leaned over her with a cool cloth handed to her by the Queen Kikyo as Queen Sara took the warmed one.

"I…What happened?"

"Don't you remember, Pharaoh's Child?" Rin noted restrained anger in the Queen's voice and she rinsed the first cloth. "You decided that 12 years of common study was enough to take on a full-fledged demon!"

"Do not be so peeved, Lady Kikyo. What was she to do? As it is, she did more than someone her age should be capable of."

"She could have placed the barrier around _herself_, Sara. And I am well just in being peeved. Sesshoumaru goes missing for _one_ night and demons begin breaking into the castle! Why do we even keep guards?"

Conscious of the entire conversation even while remembering the events leading up now, Kikyo's comment about the guards urged a question. "My Queen Kikyo," she said to assuage the noblewoman's frustration, "if the guards did nothing, what happened with the demon?"

Kagome asked permission to speak in the queen's stead and it was granted. "Queen Kikyo also trained as a priestess, Rin. She drained the demon's strength and enforced your barrier until the monks could be called to escort the demon from the palace."

Kagome dabbed Rin's head with a fresh cloth but Rin pushed it away and stood. She bowed before her lord's first wife. "I do not know what I can do to thank you, My Queen."

Kikyo closed her eyes and turned up her nose. "Do not attempt two spells at once, again. At least not until you have been properly trained. What would I have done if…" Kikyo covered her eyes with her hand, exasperated.

"What Lady Kikyo means, Rin, is she would not have liked it very much if Sesshoumaru was to return and find you harmed." Sara leaned over to whisper to the younger woman. "She does not like the admit that she has feelings for others, especially—"

"That's enough, Sara! Goodnight!" Kikyo pointed to the door. After assuring that the pharaoh's ward was well enough to be moved, Kikyo sent a snickering Rin and Kagome out of her rooms, as well.

A guard, escorted Lady Rin to her own chambers but Kagome held her back, pulling her aside. "Kikyo _is_ right, you know? What were you thinking?"

Rin sighed. She had no idea what had come over her and had no explanation. But now, as she recalled the events, she found that she could not get the demon out of her mind. Through the barrier she'd erected around him, she felt his power, his physical strength, and his age. This one was ancient, possibly even older than her lord. Could they be of the same clan? "Where is the demon, now?"

Kagome straightened. "No, Rin."

Rin would regret her next words for a long while. "It is _Lady_ Rin, Priestess, and I would like to see the demon that attacked me."

Kagome could not have stiffened more. She frowned. "I will take you downstairs to Priest Miroku. He is speaking with the guards and will know where to find the demon."

Rin walked behind Kagome hiding her grief and regret. She'd seen the hurt in the older woman's eyes and did not know how to apologize. She'd never used her station to gain anything, except maybe an extra platter of fruit in the night, so the guilt weighed on her.

The back staircase emptied into a short but wide hall where Miroku's calm, sensual voice could be heard echoing off the walls. He was speaking with three guards, but an annoyed and hurt Kagome thought nothing of interrupting them. Miroku could feel her youki and not dare argue with her, and the guards would say nothing once Princess Rin let her desire to speak with the monk be known.

Rin watched as Kagome quickened her step and spoke briefly with Miroku before leaving out. Miroku said something that dismissed the guards. Two took the staircase to the royal chambers. "You follow Miss Kagome to the temple," he told the third. "We don't know what other creatures are out, tonight." The guard saluted with a thump of his fist over his heart and left to follow the distressed priestess.

Miroku was almost a head and a half taller than Rin. Blue eyes the color of the deep ocean shifted down to her. "It's late, Rin. Perhaps you should wait until morning. That would give both you and the creature a chance to calm, and—"

"I can't, Priest Miroku. I must see him, now, tonight. I have questions that I must have answers to."

Miroku nodded, his movements stiff. "We are holding him in one of the Meido cells, _Lady_ Rin." And she felt worse. Queen Kikyo was right. One night. One night her lord is gone and everything that could go wrong goes wrong.

She followed Miroku from the palace where a chariot waited for him. It carried them across the city to the small prison ran by monks and royal guards. It was a dreary sort of place, and already Rin felt as if she were making a mistake. _But I must know how this demon is connected to my lord_, she convinced herself.

She followed Miroku to the rear of the small prison where two guards stood at the top of a stair. They bowed to her as she passed them. One fetched a torch without being told and handed it to the priest, who proceeded down the dark stairway. "It is not fitting for a princess of the Inuyoukai to be down here, but it can be known that you've come in you status as a priestess." Rin met Miroku's eyes and nodded hesitantly.

Rin found herself in a passage wide enough that four men could stand abreast comfortably. It was lined with cells on each side and was rather quiet, save for a soft growling at the end that was almost like a purr. "Before we go any further, are you sure you would not like to wait for His Serenity's return? Or perhaps his second?"

The priest was usually more forthcoming with his concerns, and Rin could sense that those concerns were entirely personal, but he said nothing and she felt worse for the way she had treated Kagome. "I'm sorry, Miroku. Suppose my lord does not return as soon as we hope. And there's something about this demon." He did not make a point of correcting her about _his_ title and for that she was relieved. He only nodded.

"Very well, then. This way."

Rin followed.

"You should perhaps, then, know that Her Highness, Queen Kikyo has requested the demon's presence and intent in the palace be kept silent. She wants to give Sesshoumaru's second no reason to feel he is permanently needed here."

"She knows who my lord's second is to be, then?"

Miroku merely shrugged, his informality returning, for which she found herself even more grateful. "I'll wait here. He's at the end of the hall, on the right." She glanced at Miroku, unsure for a moment, but then made her way in the direction to which he pointed.

The demon was hunched in the back corner of his cell, which was lined with warding sutras. Thick ash-white bangs fell to the bridge of his nose, covering his eyes. He seemed motionless, save for the soft rumbling that emanated from him. Rin searched for a way to greet the creature but was soon met with scalding amber eyes.

"You reek, miko."

Rin frowned. She moved closer to the bars of his cell to feel his aura. It felt restrained, but not from violence.

"What the hell do you want?"

She thought about the day. _Had it only been one day?_ She had so many questions that were probably irrelevant so she started with a basic one. "What is your name?"

The demon stood and she gripped the bars, refusing to back away. She didn't try to hide her fear, which was dampened by her curiosity. "What's it to you?"

"My name is Rin. I am the pharaoh's ward, and a priestess at the Temple of Inu."

"The Temple of Inu?"

"Yes! I heard a priest say you came from there. What were you doing there?"

The demon looked forlorn as he dropped his eyes to retrieve the memory. He shook his head. "I only remember picking up your scent. You're what got me into this damned mess."

"_Me_?" I never saw you before you snuck into my room and tried to abduct me!"

"_Abduct_ you?!" The demon snorted. "I was trying to get some answers!"

"You could have started by not trying to scare me." Rin crossed her arms over her chest and turned her gaze away. He was so disrespectful, but his aura wasn't hostile. In fact, he seemed to be holding back something quite different. Fear? She thought about the scroll. "What's your name?" She asked again.

"You're a priestess. If I tell you my name, it'll give you power over me. No way in hell!"

Rin sighed. "I will tell you this truth, demon: My lord, the Pharaoh Sesshoumaru, has disappeared since this morning. I don't know what happened and neither does any one else. His high queen, Kikyo, doesn't want anyone to know you're here, but I can't help but feel you're a part of all this."

"Sesshoumaru? Why do you priestesses keep saying that name to me like it's supposed to mean something?"

"Someone else mentioned Sesshoumaru?"

"Yeah, that skinny wench at the temple."

Rin gasped at his language. "You mean Priestess Kagome. I think your presence frightened her." Rin caught Miroku's movements at the corner of her eye. He was speaking to a guard but glanced at her impatiently. "Listen, I can't stay and talk to you, here. I think there's a reason why you showed up when Lord Sesshoumaru disappeared, and why you look so much like him, though there's no way you'd ever pass for him," she said with a twitch of her nose. The demon scoffed. "If you give me your name, I can get you out of here. I have a lot of questions. And I'm sure you want to be free of all these sutra constraints, right?"

The demon met her wide brown gaze with his and shook his head. "No promises, _Princess._ I ain't givin' in that easily."

Rin sighed, again, that night, frustrated with how little she had to offer the creature. He moved closer to her and his aura met hers. For the first time since that morning, her worried, restless spirit was at ease. "Please. You can trust me. I shall do my best to have you out of here no later than noon, tomorrow." As soon as she said it, Miroku called her to him. She moved away from the bars and the demon watched her leave the dank corridor.

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_Don't forget to review!!_

_Syeira_


	4. Chapter 4

Wow, sorry it took such a long time to update! This chapter goes out to Siry Pop. Thanks for keeping me on my toes!

I do NOT own Inuyasha or any of the characters, but I DO own my story and my words.

_Enjoy!_

Chapter Four

Rin's room had clearly been cleaned, all traces of the minuscule demon battle gone. She slept fitfully, and upon waking remembered few fragments from her dreams; mostly of Lord Sesshoumaru and the night he brought her home. She hadn't spoken for months, not until Priestess Kagome showed her the magic of her own power.

At dawn she lingered in bed, her thoughts centered on the events of the day before and the demon that so resembled her lord. With a sigh, she forced herself from her bed, bathed, and made her way to the Queen's chambers to plead her case. What she came upon was the woman she admired speaking heatedly to High Priestess Kaede and the former priestess, Queen Kikyo. Trying to interrupt them seemed a mistake, but when she heard mention of the demon from the night before, she felt compelled to speak in his defense.

"What are you _saying_? You want to rebind him?"

"Rin…" Kagome began but was cut off by Kikyo.

"Child! How dare you enter my quarters without presenting yourself!"

Chided, Rin dropped to her knees and lowered her forehead to the ground. "Forgive me, my queen."

"Now, now, Kikyo. The child is a priestess as we all are." Kaede voice dragged out.

"A priestess-in-_training_," Kagome corrected.

"Have you broken your fast, Rin?" Kikyo's voice sounded haughty as ever. Rin answered and was permitted to join the three women. She sat at the breakfast square across from the queen. A servant immediately placed a platter before her and decorated it with fruit and honeyed bread. Rin looked at it. "Are you not going to eat?"

"My Queen, you cannot bind the demon. I believe he was sent to…"

"Sent to what, dear child?" Kaede asked her.

"I think he was sent to help me in my lord's absence."

Kikyo laughed outright, but its sound was as dainty and regal as the woman herself. "How in the world could you come to such a conclusion, Princess?"

Rin had kept Sesshoumaru's scroll secret but wondered what the high priestess would think of it. She pulled it from the lining at her hip and passed it to the much older woman. Kaede scrunched the brow of her already wrinkled face and turned so the morning light could strike the parchment.

"What does it say, Lady Kaede?" The queen asked in all seriousness.

"It looks to be a poem of some sort. Too short for a true incantation.

"Rin, perhaps you have not fully recovered from your fainting spell, last night. I will have a healer sent to you."

Rin was ready to speak out at the queen when Kaede spoke, again. "However, the first two lines are typical for all prayers regarding Lord Inu Taisho's family. Where did you get this, child?"

Rin pondered how much to reveal. "It was given to me by Lord Sesshoumaru."

Kaede nodded. "Her story is not entirely improbable, my Queen Kikyo."

The queen turned now to Rin, her face not completely a scowl, but certainly not content. Rin tried to make herself smaller in the goose down seat.

"May I see it, Rin?" Kagome asked, her hand outstretched toward Kaede. The priestess seemed to have forgiven her transgressions. She smiled at her mentor and nodded. Kagome took the small scroll and read from it, Kikyo leaning over her shoulder. "Does this mean the creature is kin to Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"I highly doubt it," said the queen as she watched Rin. "All of Inu Taisho's family were powerful demons who commanded respect. Not only that, but why would they have locked up a member of their own family inside a temple column? It makes no sense." She brought her hands together making a steeple with her fingers. "If they wanted him bound then he should be returned to his prison."

"High Priestess Kaede!" Rin pleaded. "If His Serenity Sesshoumaru gave me this scroll and it awakened the demon, then perhaps he is a guardian. We will need him in my lord's absence. And when His Serenity returns, _he_ can decide what to do with him."

Kagome sat, thoughtful, trying to remember all the conversations she'd had with Lord Sesshoumaru, but there were far too many. She was sure he would have mentioned a demon in the temple, especially since she was now its caretaker. _Of course he would have,_ she reasoned. _He would never put me in harm's way, or Rin, if this was truly his memento to the girl._ "_Power of the Inu bound_," she said aloud. "I'm not sure what that means but it sounds like the line of Inuyoukai may have given him guardianship as Rin has said." Kagome saw the young woman relax in her chair. "But he is too strong for any one of us to control."

"Speak for yourself, Lady Kagome. I believe it was _I_ who subdued him."

"Only after Rin had him contained," Kagome affirmed with a nod to her student.

Rin smiled and began to eat her breakfast, the smell of the bread getting to her. Kaede smiled at her and patted her wrist. She heard Kikyo sigh.

"If the beast can be contained and controlled then I will allow him to remain unbound. For the time _being,_" she amended when Rin's hopeful gaze met hers. "My conditions are that Kagome work with Lady Kaede to find the rest of that incantation and its true meaning. There must be _something_ about it in the temple. And we _must_ find a binding spell, just in case." The two older priestesses nodded. "I will take Rin to the Meido House myself to see how useful he may be."

Rin beamed. She couldn't have hoped for a better outcome. She was at peace with Lady Kagome and was allowed to keep her promise to the demon.

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_Don't forget to review!!_

_Syeira_


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